Prognosis of subsequent pregnancy in uterine necrosis after uterine artery embolization.

In an 8-year period at two medical center, 138 patients underwent uterine artery embolization, and 11 of them were diagnosed with uterine necrosis. Among them, three were successfully conceived. However, one of them developed an arteriovenous malformation after an artificial abortion, and another experienced complications, including placenta previa and placenta accreta spectrum, which resulted in early preterm delivery and recurrent postpartum hemorrhage, necessitating subtotal hysterectomy. Therefore, it is crucial to prepare for potential adverse pregnancy outcomes in subsequent pregnancies for patients with a history of uterine necrosis.

Unusual US Findings of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma of the Breast: A Case Report.

Lymphoma is an uncommon type of breast malignancy, with low prevalence. The ultrasonographic findings of breast lymphoma have been described as nonspecific. Breast lymphoma most commonly appears as a solitary hypoechoic mass on US, and usually shows hypervascularity on color Doppler US. Herein, we report an unusual case of breast lymphoma that presented as multiple bilateral hyperechoic nodules on US.

Innovative tarantula hair-inspired washing machine filters for enhanced microfiber capture.

Aquatic environments are being polluted by microplastics primarily originating from the washing of synthetic textiles. Microfibers (MF), which are microplastics in synthetic fibers, are consistently introduced into the environment with each domestic laundry cycle. To address this issue, we developed a specialized MF capture "barbed filter" (BF) by transforming PET monofilaments of different diameters (0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mm) into structures that closely resemble the characteristics of tarantula urticating hairs. BFs feature sharp barbs that effectively capture and retain microfibers of diverse lengths, surpassing the performance of conventional control filters. The BFs had a retention efficiency of 88-91 %, while the CFs had an efficiency of 79-86 %. Our findings revealed that the barbed filter significantly outperformed the conventional control filter in capturing microfibers due to its smaller pore size, shorter pore distance, and unique filter shape. This design not only enhances the surface area and friction, facilitating microfibril strong entrapment but also minimizes the probability of microfibril passage through the filter. This research offers a promising solution for reducing microfibril release from laundry and textile industrial wastewater. The implementation of BFs in real life has the potential to significantly reduce microplastic pollution and promote a cleaner and more sustainable environment.

Importance, performance frequency, and predicted future importance of dietitians' jobs by practicing dietitians in Korea: a survey study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the perceptions held by practicing dietitians of the importance of their tasks performed in current work environments, the frequency at which those tasks are performed, and predictions about the importance of those tasks in future work environments. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey study. An online survey was administered to 350 practicing dietitians. They were asked to assess the importance, performance frequency, and predicted changes in the importance of 27 tasks using a 5-point scale. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and the means of the variables were compared across categorized work environments using analysis of variance. RESULTS: The importance scores of all surveyed tasks were higher than 3.0, except for the marketing management task. Self-development, nutrition education/counseling, menu planning, food safety management, and documentation/data management were all rated higher than 4.0. The highest performance frequency score was related to documentation/data management. The importance scores of all duties, except for professional development, differed significantly by workplace. As for predictions about the future importance of the tasks surveyed, dietitians responded that the importance of all 27 tasks would either remain at current levels or increase in the future. CONCLUSION: Twenty-seven tasks were confirmed to represent dietitians' job functions in various workplaces. These tasks can be used to improve the test specifications of the Korean Dietitian Licensing Examination and the curriculum of dietetic education programs.

Improved digestibility and bioavailability of pea protein following enzymatic treatment and fermentation by lactic acid bacteria.

Peas (Pisum sativum L.) have a potential commercial value because of their high protein content, non-GMO status, low allergenicity. This study examined changes in the digestion and absorption properties of enzyme-modified and fermented pea protein (EFPP) produced through enzymatic treatment of pea protein and fermentation with lactic acid bacteria. EFPP was digested 22.50% more than isolated pea protein (IPP) during the first 15 min in vitro digestion model. Based on the Caco-2 cell monolayer model, EFPP showed 38.40% higher bioavailability than IPP. Gel Permeation Chromatography showed that the average molecular weight of EFPP was 98.79% lower than that of IPP. The secondary structure of protein was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and it showed a 53.92% reduction in ß-sheet of EFPP than IPP. These results indicate that enzyme treatment and fermentation of pea protein reduced the molecular weight, modified the secondary structure, and improved digestibility and bioavailability.

Risk factors for hyperglycemia in COVID-19 patients treated with remdesivir.

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the factors contributing to hyperglycemic adverse events (AEs) associated with the administration of remdesivir in hospitalized patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Furthermore, the study aimed to develop a risk score model employing various machine learning approaches. A total of 1262 patients were enrolled in this investigation. The relationship between covariates and hyperglycemic AEs was assessed through logistic regression analysis. Diverse machine learning algorithms were employed for the purpose of forecasting hyperglycemia-related complications. After adjusting for covariates, individuals with a body mass index ≥23 kg/m2 , those using proton pump inhibitors, cholinergic medications, or individuals with cardiovascular diseases exhibited approximately 2.41-, 2.73-, 2.65-, and 1.97-fold higher risks of experiencing hyperglycemic AEs (95% CI 1.271-4.577, 1.223-6.081, 1.168-5.989, and 1.119-3.472, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression, elastic net, and random forest models displayed area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.65, 0.66, and 0.60, respectively (95% CI 0.572-0.719, 0.640-0.671, and 0.583-0.611, respectively). This study comprehensively explored factors associated with hyperglycemic complications arising from remdesivir administration and, concurrently, leveraged a range of machine learning methodologies to construct a risk scoring model, thereby facilitating the tailoring of individualized remdesivir treatment regimens for patients with COVID-19.

Targeting SARM1 improves autophagic stress-induced axonal neuropathy.

ABBREVIATIONS: AAV: adeno-associated virus; ATF3: activating transcription factor 3; ATG7: autophagy related 7; AVIL: advillin; cADPR: cyclic ADP ribose; CALC: calcitonin/calcitonin-related polypeptide; CMT: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease; cKO: conditional knockout; DEG: differentially expressed gene; DRG: dorsal root ganglion; FE-SEM: field emission scanning electron microscopy; IF: immunofluorescence; NCV: nerve conduction velocity; PVALB: parvalbumin; RAG: regeneration-associated gene; ROS: reactive oxygen species; SARM1: sterile alpha and HEAT/Armadillo motif containing 1; SYN1: synapsin I.

Association of maternal thyroid disease with obesity in child.

OBJECTIVES: During pregnancy, many women develop thyroid disorders, which can result in fetal and neonatal development defects. We investigated whether maternal thyroid dysfunction would affect their children's growth and obesity. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study using a combination of data from several Korean nationwide registries to investigate the association between maternal thyroid dysfunction, offspring growth, and obesity. Childhood growth was repeatedly measured at three periods of age from 42 to 80 months, using body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: A total of 1,123,499 women were enrolled in this study; 78,902 (7.0 %) had pre-pregnancy thyroid disease. Significant association was found between maternal hyperthyroidism and obesity in all children aged 42-66 months (42-54 months, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.93, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.89-0.98; 54-66 months, aOR 0.93, 95 % CI 0.87-0.99), but not at later ages. In the analysis by sex, maternal hyperthyroidism was associated with childhood obesity in boys, whereas it was not associated with those in girls of any age. No association was observed between maternal hypothyroidism and child BMI or obesity. CONCLUSIONS: The association between maternal thyroid function and obesity in offspring is attenuated from early to late childhood, suggesting that many other factors may be involved in developing childhood obesity.

Evaluation on the Nutrition Quotient Scores of Elderly People Living Alone in Korea.

As the Korean society is aging rapidly, the issues on physical, social, economic, and mental disabilities of single-person households aged 65 years or older has also increased. This study aimed to investigate the nutrition-related dietary conditions of elderly people living alone and determine their dietary behavior by calculating the nutrition quotient for elderly (NQ-E). One hundred and three elderly people living alone who were basic living recipients were recruited from six senior welfare centers in Seoul, and the data were collected using a questionnaire from 19 July 2016 to 17 August 2016, with a 1:1 in-depth interview using the modified version of the NQ-E questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 for Mac (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA); a p value of <0.05 was considered significant. The nutrition-related dietary conditions of the elderly living alone were limited, and many of them received support from the government, which helped improve their diet. The nutrition quotient score of the elderly living alone was 50.14, which was lower than the NQ-E mean score (57.6) of the Korean elderly and the NQ-E (62 points), which is the top 25% of the national survey subjects according to the criteria value presented by the Korean Nutrition Society. Elderly people living alone often have poor dietary habits and nutritional status. The NQ-E presented in this study can be used to evaluate the dietary conditions of the elderly and is expected to be used as an indicator for developing community programs for health promotion and evaluating their effectiveness.

Neuroprotective effect of dexmedetomidine on autophagy in mice administered intracerebroventricular injections of Aß25-35.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases is associated with pathological autophagy-lysosomal pathway dysfunction. Dexmedetomidine (Dex) has been suggested as an adjuvant to general anesthesia with advantages in reducing the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction in Dex-treated patients with AD and older individuals. Several studies reported that Dex improved memory; however, evidence on the effects of Dex on neuronal autophagy dysfunction in the AD model is lacking. We hypothesized that Dex administration would have neuroprotective effects by improving pathological autophagy dysfunction in mice that received an intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of amyloid ß-protein fragment 25-35 (Aß25-35) and in an autophagy-deficient cellular model. In the Y-maze test, Dex reversed the decreased activity of Aß25-35 mice. Additionally, it restored the levels of two memory-related proteins, phosphorylated Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (p-CaMKII) and postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95) in Aß25-35 mice and organotypic hippocampal slice culture (OHSC) with Aß25-35. Dex administration also resulted in decreased expression of the autophagy-related microtubule-associated proteins light chain 3-II (LC3-II), p62, lysosome-associated membrane protein2 (LAMP2), and cathepsin D in Aß25-35 mice and OHSC with Aß25-35. Increased numbers of co-localized puncta of LC3-LAMP2 or LC3-cathepsin D, along with dissociated LC3-p62 immunoreactivity following Dex treatment, were observed. These findings were consistent with the results of western blots and the transformation of double-membrane autophagosomes into single-membraned autolysosomes in ultrastructures. It was evident that Dex treatment alleviated impaired autolysosome formation in Aß mice. Our study demonstrated the improvement of memory impairment caused by Dex and its neuroprotective mechanism by investigating the role of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway in a murine Aß25-35 model. These findings suggest that Dex could be used as a potential neuroprotective adjuvant in general anesthesia to prevent cognitive decline.

Structure and activation of the RING E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM72 on the membrane.

Defects in plasma membrane repair can lead to muscle and heart diseases in humans. Tripartite motif-containing protein (TRIM)72 (mitsugumin 53; MG53) has been determined to rapidly nucleate vesicles at the site of membrane damage, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we present the structure of Mus musculus TRIM72, a complete model of a TRIM E3 ubiquitin ligase. We demonstrated that the interaction between TRIM72 and phosphatidylserine-enriched membranes is necessary for its oligomeric assembly and ubiquitination activity. Using cryogenic electron tomography and subtomogram averaging, we elucidated a higher-order model of TRIM72 assembly on the phospholipid bilayer. Combining structural and biochemical techniques, we developed a working molecular model of TRIM72, providing insights into the regulation of RING-type E3 ligases through the cooperation of multiple domains in higher-order assemblies. Our findings establish a fundamental basis for the study of TRIM E3 ligases and have therapeutic implications for diseases associated with membrane repair.

Machine Learning Approaches for Assessing Risk Factors of Adrenal Insufficiency in Patients Undergoing Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy.

Adrenal insufficiency is a rare, yet life-threatening immune-related adverse event of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This study aimed to establish a risk scoring system for adrenal insufficiency in patients receiving anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or anti-programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) agents. Moreover, several machine learning methods were utilized to predict such complications. This study included 209 ICI-treated patients from July 2015 to February 2021, excluding those with prior adrenal insufficiency, previous steroid therapy, or incomplete data to ensure data integrity. Patients were continuously followed up at Gyeongsang National University Hospital, with morning blood samples taken for basal cortisol level measurements, facilitating a comprehensive analysis of their adrenal insufficiency risk. Using a chi-squared test and logistic regression model, we derived the odds ratio and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) through univariate and multivariable analyses. This study utilized machine learning algorithms, such as decision trees, random forests, support vector machines (SVM), and logistic regression to predict adrenal insufficiency in patients treated with ICIs. The performance of each algorithm was evaluated using metrics like accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), ensuring rigorous assessment and reproducibility. A risk scoring system was developed from the multivariable and machine learning analyses. In a multivariable analysis, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) (AOR 4.5), and α-blockers (AOR 6.0) were significant risk factors for adrenal insufficiency after adjusting for confounders. Among the machine learning models, logistic regression and elastic net showed good predictions, with AUROC values of 0.75 (0.61-0.90) and 0.76 (0.64-0.89), respectively. Based on multivariable and machine learning analyses, females (1 point), age ≥ 65 (1 point), PPIs (1 point), α-blockers (2 points), and antipsychotics (3 points) were integrated into the risk scoring system. From the logistic regression curve, patients with 0, 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 points showed approximately 1.1%, 2.8%, 7.3%, 17.6%, 36.8%, 61.3%, and 81.2% risk for adrenal insufficiency, respectively. The application of our scoring system could prove beneficial in patient assessment and clinical decision-making while administering PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.

Identification of miR-143-3p as a diagnostic biomarker in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) is among the most common types of gastrointestinal cancers and has a high incidence and mortality around the world. To suppress the progression of GC, it is essential to develop diagnostic markers. MicroRNAs regulate GC development, but a clearer insight into their role is needed before they can be applied as a molecular markers and targets. METHODS: In this study, we assessed the diagnostic value of differentially expressed microRNAs as potential diagnostic biomarkers for GC using data for 389 tissue samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and 21 plasma samples from GC patients. RESULTS: The expression of hsa-miR-143-3p (also known as hsa-miR-143) was significantly downregulated in GC according to the TCGA data and plasma samples. The 228 potential target genes of hsa-miR-143-3p were analyzed using a bioinformatics tool for miRNA target prediction. The target genes correlated with extracellular matrix organization, the cytoplasm, and identical protein binding. Furthermore, the pathway enrichment analysis of target genes showed that they were involved in pathways in cancer, the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway, and proteoglycans in cancer. The hub genes in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, were matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2), CD44 molecule (CD44), and SMAD family member 3 (SMAD3). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that hsa-miR-143-3p may be used as a diagnostic marker for GC, contributing via the pathways involved in the development of GC.

Association between SYVN1 and SEL1 genetic polymorphisms and remission in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with TNF-α inhibitors: a machine learning approach.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a severe chronic inflammatory condition that affects joint synovium. Suppressor/enhancer of lin-12-like (SEL1L)-Synoviolin 1 (SYVN1)-mediated endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) is highly associated with RA development. Although targeting SEL1L-SYVN1-mediated ERAD can be beneficial, studies that evaluate the association between polymorphisms in their genes and remission from the disease in RA patients taking tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors have yet to be carried out. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the association between SYVN1 and SEL1L polymorphisms and TNF-α inhibitor response using various machine learning models. A total of 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including 5 SNPs in SYVN1 and 7 SNPs of SEL1L were investigated. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and response to treatment. Various machine learning methods were employed to evaluate factors associated with remission in patients receiving TNF-α inhibitors. After adjusting for covariates, we found that sulfasalazine and rs2025214 in SEL1L increase the remission rates by approximately 3.3 and 2.8 times, respectively (95% confidence intervals 1.126-9.695 and 1.074-7.358, respectively). Machine learning approaches showed acceptable prediction estimates for remission in RA patients receiving TNF-α inhibitors, with the area under the receiver-operating curve (AUROC) values ranging from 0.60 to 0.65. A polymorphism of the SEL1L gene (rs2025214) and sulfasalazine were found to be associated with treatment response in RA patients receiving TNF-α inhibitors. These preliminary data could be used to tailor treatment for RA patients using TNF-α inhibitors.

Cancer Incidence in Korean Healthcare Workers in Hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare workers in hospitals (HHCWs), a notably increasing workforce, face various occupational hazards. A high incidence of cancer among HHCWs has been observed; however, the cancer incidence status among HHCWs in South Korea is yet to be studied. This study aimed to assess cancer incidence among HHCWs in South Korea. METHODS: We constructed a retrospective cohort of HHCWs using National Health Insurance claims data, including cancer incidence status and vital status, from 2007 to 2015. Those who had worked in hospitals for at least three years were defined as HHCWs. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for all cancer types and standardized mortality ratios were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 107,646 HHCWs were followed up, and the total follow-up duration was 905,503 person-years. Compared to the total workers, female HHCWs showed significantly higher SIR for all cancers (observed cases = 1480; SIR = 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06-1.47). The incidence of breast cancer among female HHCWs was significantly higher compared to that among total workers (observed cases = 376; SIR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.09-1.36). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that female HHCWs have an elevated probability of developing cancer, which suggests that occupational risk factors such as night-shift work, anti-neoplastic medications, stressful jobs, and ionizing radiation should be assessed. Further investigation and occupational environment improvement activities are required.

Calumenin, a Ca2+ Binding Protein, Is Required for Dauer Formation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Caenorhabditis elegans can adapt and survive in dynamically changing environments by the smart and delicate switching of molecular plasticity. C. elegans dauer diapause is a form of phenotypic and developmental plasticity that induces reversible developmental arrest upon environmental cues. An ER (endoplasmic reticulum)-resident Ca2+ binding protein, calumenin has been reported to function in a variety of malignant diseases in vertebrates and in the process of muscle contraction-relaxation. In C. elegans, CALU-1 is known to function in Ca2+-regulated behaviors (pharyngeal pumping and defecation) and cuticle formation. The cuticles of dauer larvae are morphologically distinct from those of larvae that develop in favorable conditions. The structure of the dauer cuticle is thicker and more highly reinforced than that of other larval stages to protect dauer larvae from various environmental insults. Since the calu-1(tm1783) mutant exhibited abnormal cuticle structures such as highly deformed annuli and alae, we investigated whether CALU-1 is involved in dauer formation or not. Ascaroside pheromone (ascr#2) and crude daumone were used under starvation conditions to analyze the rate of dauer formation in the calu-1(tm1783) mutant. Surprisingly, the dauer ratio of the calu-1(tm1783) mutant was extremely low compared to that of the wild type. In fact, the calu-1(tm1783) mutants were mostly unable to enter diapause. We also found that calu-1 is expressed in body-wall muscle and AIA interneurons at the dauer stage. Taken together, our results suggest that CALU-1 is required for normal entry into diapause in C. elegans.

Lipid extract derived from newly isolated Rhodotorula toruloides LAB-07 for cosmetic applications.

Rhodotorula toruloides is a non-conventional yeast with a natural carotenoid pathway. In particular, R. toruloides is an oleaginous yeast that can accumulate lipids in high content, thereby gaining interest as a promising industrial host. In this study, we isolated and taxonomically identified a new R. toruloides LAB-07 strain. De novo genome assembly using PacBio and Illumina hybrid platforms yielded 27 contigs with a 20.78 Mb genome size. Subsequent genome annotation analysis based on RNA-seq predicted 5296 protein-coding genes, including the fatty acid production pathway. We compared lipid production under different media; it was highest in the yeast extract salt medium with glycerol as a carbon source. Polyunsaturated α-linolenic acid was detected among the fatty acids, and docking phosphatidylcholine as a substrate to modeled Fad2, which annotated as Δ12-fatty acid desaturase showed bifunctional Δ12, 15-desaturation is structurally possible in that the distances between the diiron center and the carbon-carbon bond in which desaturation occurs were similar to those of structurally identified mouse stearoyl-CoA desaturase. Finally, the applicability of the extracted total lipid fraction of R. toruloides was investigated, demonstrating an increase in filaggrin expression and suppression of heat-induced MMP-1 expression when applied to keratinocytes, along with the additional antioxidant activity. This work presents a new R. toruloides LAB-07 strain with genomic and lipidomic data, which would help understand the physiology of R. toruloides. Also, the various skin-related effect of R. toruloides lipid extract indicates its potential usage as a promising cosmetic ingredient.

Incidence of Retinal Artery Occlusion and Related Mortality in Korea, 2005 to 2018.

Importance: It remains unclear whether comorbidities in patients with retinal artery occlusion (RAO), a rare retinal vascular disorder, differ by subtype and whether mortality is higher. Objective: To examine the nationwide incidence of clinically diagnosed, nonarteritic RAO, causes of death, and mortality rate in patients with RAO compared with that in the general population in Korea. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective, population-based cohort study examined National Health Insurance Service claims data from 2002 to 2018. The population of South Korea was 49 705 663, according to the 2015 census. Data were analyzed from February 9, 2021, to July 30, 2022. Main Outcomes and Measures: The nationwide incidence of any RAO, including central RAO (CRAO; International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision [ICD-10] code, H34.1) and noncentral RAO (other RAO; ICD-10 code, H34.2) was estimated using National Health Insurance Service claims data from 2002 to 2018, with 2002 to 2004 as the washout period. Furthermore, the causes of death were evaluated and the standardized mortality ratio was estimated. The primary outcomes were the incidence of RAO per 100 000 person-years and the standardized mortality ratio (SMR). Results: A total of 51 326 patients with RAO were identified (28 857 [56.2%] men; mean [SD] age at index date: 63.6 [14.1] years). The nationwide incidence of any RAO was 7.38 (95% CI, 7.32-7.44) per 100 000 person-years. The incidence rate of noncentral RAO was 5.12 (95% CI, 5.07-5.18), more than twice that of CRAO (2.25 [95% CI, 2.22-2.29]). Mortality was higher in patients with any RAO than in the general population (SMR, 7.33 [95% CI, 7.15-7.50]). The SMR for CRAO (9.95 [95% CI, 9.61-10.29]) and for noncentral RAO (5.97 [95% CI, 5.78-6.16]) showed a tendency toward a gradual decrease with increasing age. The top 3 causes of death in patients with RAO were diseases of the circulatory system (28.8%), neoplasms (25.1%), and diseases of the respiratory system (10.2%). Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found that the incidence rate of noncentral RAO was higher than that of CRAO, whereas SMR was higher for CRAO than noncentral RAO. Patients with RAO show higher mortality than the general population, with circulatory system disease as the leading cause of death. These findings suggest that it is necessary to investigate the risk of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease in patients newly diagnosed with RAO.

Understanding the bacterial compositional network associations between oral and gut microbiome within healthy Koreans.

Oral microbial ecosystem could influence intestinal diseases, but there have been insufficient studies demonstrating the association of microbial composition between the oral cavity and the intestinal system. Thus, we aimed to investigate the compositional network within the oral microbiome related to gut enterotype from saliva and stool samples collected from 112 healthy Korean subjects. Here, we performed bacterial 16S amplicon sequencing from clinical samples. Then, we determined oral microbiome type related to individual's gut enterotype for healthy Korean. The co-occurrence analysis was performed to interactivity prediction of microbiome within saliva samples. As a result, it could be classified into two Korean oral microbiome types (KO) and four oral-gut-associated microbiome types (KOGA) according to distribution and significant differences of oral microflora. The co-occurrence analysis showed various bacterial compositional networks linked around Streptococcus and Haemophilus within healthy subjects. The present study was first approach in healthy Koreans to identify the oral microbiome types related to the gut microbiome and investigate their characteristics. Hence, we suggest that our results could be potential healthy control data for identifying differences in microbial composition between healthy people and oral disease patients and studying microbial association with the gut microbial environment (oral-gut microbiome axis).

Gemcitabine-cisplatin versus MVAC chemotherapy for urothelial carcinoma: a nationwide cohort study.

This study assessed the trends in methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (MVAC) and gemcitabine-cisplatin (GC) regimens in Korean patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) and compared the side effects and overall survival (OS) rates of the two regimens using nationwide population-based data. The data of patients diagnosed with UC between 2004 and 2016 were collected using the National Health Insurance Service database. The overall treatment trends were assessed according to the chemotherapy regimens. The MVAC and GC groups were matched by propensity scores. Cox proportional hazard analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis were performed to assess survival. Of 3108 patients with UC, 2,880 patients were treated with GC and 228 (7.3%) were treated with MVAC. The transfusion rate and volume were similar in both the groups, but the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) usage rate and number were higher in the MVAC group than in the GC group. Both groups had similar OS. Multivariate analysis revealed that the chemotherapy regimen was not a significant factor for OS. Subgroup analysis revealed that a period of ≥ 3 months from diagnosis to systemic therapy enhanced the prognostic effects of the GC regimen. The GC regimen was widely used as the first-line chemotherapy in more than 90% of our study population with metastatic UC. The MVAC regimen showed similar OS to the GC regimen but needed greater use of G-CSF. The GC regimen could be a suitable treatment option for metastatic UC after ≥ 3 months from diagnosis.